Car coupling



Feb. 26, 1946. Y A. R. lsu-:DESS

CAR COUPLING Filed Feb. 14, 1944` 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2,395,716 CARcoUPLING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A; R. BIEDESS Filed Feb.f14, 1944 Feb, 26,1946.

Patented Feb. 26, i946 ,nan

OFFICE CAR. COUBLING Anthony R. Biedess, Chicago, Ill., assigner toGoodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, I1l.,.a.corpcration of IllinoisApplicationlliebruary 14, 1944, Serial No. 522,227

(Cl.f213-75) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in car couplings and more.particularly relates to an improved form of extensible car couplingadapted to couple cars to loading machines of the type used in mines.

VThe principal objects of my invention are to provide a new and improvedform of coupling permitting .the car to be moved towards or away fromthe loading machine during the loading operation while still coupled tothe machine, so

theboom of the loading machine can trim the .car Without beingdisconnected therefrom.

Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved form ofcoupling for extensibly connecting a car to a loading machine, which isso arranged as to permit movement of thel-oading machine with respect'tothe car durtion;

Y'Figure 2'is an enlarged fragmentary plan View `of the Ycoupling shownin 'Figure 1, with certain partsbrokenaway and certain other parts-shownin horizontal section;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation of thecoupling, with certain parts thereof vbroken Vaway and certain otherparts shown in substantially longitudinal section;

Figure l is a fragmentary sectional vview taken substantially alongline#-4 of Figure 2;

VIfi on the end of a boom i5 is forced into Vthe material it is desiredto load, by movement of the loading machine along the track, and whereinsaid scoop discharges the material onto a conveyer iii extendingrearwardly beyond the rear .end of the loading machine, for loading intothe mine car il. The details of construction of said loading machine areno part of my present invention and may be similar to those shown anddescribed in my vPatent No. 2,301,241, so are not herein shown ordescribed in detail.

Referring now in particular to the details of thecoupling I2, andcertain novel features Yof 'my invention, said coupling as herein shown,includes a guide housing Il having a pair of abutting chains i8, I8guided therein, for extensible movement with respect thereto, andforming a storage place for said chains, when said coupling is in aretracted position. Said chains are pivotally connected at their forwardends 'to a drawhead i9 in longitudinally abutting relation With respectto each other. Said drawhead is adapted to be coupled to ac'oupling 2liof the mine car i I, by means of a coupling pin 2i, in a manner wellknown to those skilled in the art. A handle 22 yis secured to andlprojects upwardly from said drawhead,

. to ai'd'in extending `said chains from or retracting "-Figure 5 is apartial fragmentary detail plan The guide housing 'I is'connected to anendv sill Z5 of the loading .machine lil by means of a pair ofl-aterally spaced upper bolts 26, 26 vand a similar pair of laterallyspaced lower bolts .21, Z1 lhaving compression springs 2S, .23 and 2Q,`29

encircling said upper Vand lower bolts, respectiver 1y. vSaid bolts 26,25 extend through laterally spaced ears 3i), 30 projecting upwardly fromthe top of said housing, adjacent opposite sides thereof' Saidsprings28, 23 abut opposite sides of said1ears,;and said vconnecting bolts 25,2li are mountedin connectingbrackets 3l, 3l, which are secured to therear side of the end 4sill 25, and are spacedoutwardly therefrom. Thelower connecting bolts 21,'21 are mounted in brackets v33, 33, spacedbeneath the brackets 3l, 3l, and secured .to .the :end .sill 25 andspaced outwardly therefrom. One compression spring 28 is interposedbetween the bracket 3| and the ear 39, while the other compressionspring is interposed between the opposite side of said ear and a washer35, held to said connecting bolt by means of a nut 36. A nut 31 threadedon the inner end of each bolt abuts the inner side of the ear 39, tohold said connecting bolts to said brackets. The lower connecting bolts21, 21 extend through ears 38, 38 depending from the bottom of saidguide housing, and the compression springs 29, 29 abut opposite sides ofsaid ears, to permit yieldable movement of said guide housing along saidears. A yieldable support is thus formed for the coupling I2, to permityieldable movement of said coupling with respect to the end sill 25 ofthe loading machine.

The chains IB, I8 mesh with a pair of laterally spaced sprockets 49, 49mounted in said housing on vertical shafts 4I, 4I. The teeth of saidsprockets engage the outer sides of the links of said chains and whenheld from rotation, positively lock said chains in a iixed position withrespect to said housing, so said chains may Yform a rigid couplingmember between the car and loading machine.

A separate locking pin 43 is provided for each wardly therefrom towardsthe pin 43, has a substantially horizontal end 46 engaging a slot 41formed in said pin, adjacent the lower end thereof, to limit downwardmovement of said pin with respect to said housing, and to urge said pinin a downwardly extended locking position with respect to said housing.The pins 43, 43 are con- VnectedV together adjacent their upper ends bymeans of a transverselyr extending rod 49, and are vertically moved withrespect to said housing to lock the sprockets 1H),l 4I). from rotation,or to permit free rotation of said sprockets, by means of a pair offorked lever arms 50, 59, having slidable engagement with said rod attheir free forked ends. Said lever arms are secured at their rear endsto a rocking shaft 5I, extending parallel to the rod 49 and mounted onparallel spaced lugs 53, 53, extending upwardly from opposite outersides of the longitudinal guide 23, formed in the central portion of theguide housing I1. A handle 54 is provided to rock said rock shaft. Astop 55, engageable with the upper end of one of the pins 43, isprovided to limit vertical movement of said pins with respect to saidhousing and stop said pins when the notch 44 is in registry with theteeth of the sprockets The chains I8, I8, as herein shown, are laterallyflexible in one direction only, and are connected tothe drawhead i9 inlongitudinal abutting relation with respect to each other, so that saidchains may flex in a direction away from each other and follow theoppositely curved guides 24, 24, when said chain is being retractedwithin said guide housing for storage within said housing. With. thisconstruction, when the chains are extended from the housing, lateralflexibility of said chain is restricted, and said chains form arelatively rigid connecting member between said drawhead and saidhousing. As herein shown, each of said chains includes a pair ofparallel spaced links 51, 51 spaced from each other by -bushings 5S, 58on pivotal pins 59, 59, whichV also form a pivotal connecting means forsaid links. Each of said links has a rectangularly formed lug 69projecting outwardly therefrom, adapted to be abutted by the natsurfaces of links 9i, GI mounted on the ends of the pivotal pins 59, 59and forming alternate links of said chain. Said flat surfaces of saidlinks, abutting said lugs, thus form a means to restrain pivotalmovement or lateral flexibility of said chains in a direction towardseach other. The outer portions of the ends of said last mentioned linksare of an arcuate form, to permitI lateral flexibility of the chain inan outward direction.

The end links of said chain are herein shown as being in the form ofsolid blocks 63, 63, mounted on the pins 59, 59 between the links 51,51. Said blocks are adapted to engage the teeth of the sprocket andprevent rotation thereof, and thus prevent the chains from being pulledout of the guide housing I1 during the loading operation, in casesrwherethe locking pins 43, 43 might be in position to permit free rotation ofthe sprockets 40, 4i). While said lblocks 63, 63 are herein shown asbeing end links, they may be placed in any desired position in thechain, to limit the amount of extensibility thereof.

It should here be noted that the blocks 63, 63 make it possible for theloading machine to move relatively to the car during loading, ifdesired,

' but maintain the car in coupled relation with respect to the loadingmachine, so that the loading boom of the machine will not be movedbeyond the end of the car when the sprockets 40, 40 are free to rotatewith respect to each other.

It may also be seen that with the coupling just described, the loadingmachine may be extended with respect to the car b-y raising the lockingpins 48, 43, to permit free rotation of the sprockets 49, 48 withrespect to each other, and then lowering said locking pin when theloading machine is in the desired extended position with respect to thecar.

While I have herein shownand described one form in which my inventionmay be embodied, it will be understood that the construction thereof andthe arrangement of the various parts may be altered without departingfrom the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be'construed as limiting my invention to the specic embodimentillustrated, excepting as it may be limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An extensible coupling including a housing, two chains slidablymounted in said housing for extensible and retractible movement withrespect thereto, a drawhead connected to the outer ends of said chains,said chains being flexible in one direction only and being connected tosaid drawhead in opposing relation with respect to each other, so saidchains will hold said drawhead from lateral movement with respect tosaid housing, and said housing having a guide formed therein so arrangedas to guide said chains to double back along themselves upon retractiblemovement of said chains within said housing.

2. An extensible coupling including a housing,

two chains slidably mounted in said `housing for extensible andretractible movement with respect thereto, a drawhead connected to theouter ends of said chains, said chains being flexible in one directiononly and being connected to said drawhead in opposing relation withrespect to each other, so said chains will hold said drawhead fromlateral movement with respect to said housing, and said housing having aguide formed therein so arranged as to guide said chains to double backalong themselves upon retractible movement of said chains within saidhousing, a sprocket mounted in said housing and meshing with one of saidchains, and means selectively operable.

to engage and hold said sprocket from rotation, to hold said drawhead inxed spaced relation with `respect to said housing. c

3. An extensible coupling including a housing, two chains slidablymounted in said housing for extensible and retractible movement withrespect thereto, a drawhead connected to the outer ends of said chains,said chains being iiexible in one direction only and said two chainsbeing connected to said drawhead in opposing relation with respect toeach other so as to hold said drawhead from lateral movement withrespect to said housing, and said housing having a guide formed thereinso arranged as to guide said chains to double back along themselves uponretractible movement of said chains, two sprockets mounted in saidhousing, each one of said sprockets meshing with one of said chains, andmeans selectively operable to hold said sprockets from rotation, to holdsaid 'drawhead in fixed spaced relation with respect to said housing.

4. An extensible coupling including a housing,

a pair of chains slidably mounted in said housing for extensible andretractible movement with respect thereto, a drawhead connected to theouter ends of said chains, said chains being exible in one directiononly and being connected to said drawhead to extend in longitudinalabutting relation with respect to each other along their inner sides andflexing towards their outer sides, and said housing having asubstantially Y-shaped guide formed therein, the ends of the branches ofthe Y of which turn back along the outer sides of the stem thereof, topermit said chains to double back along themselves within said housingand be stored within said housing when said drawhead is in a retractedposition with respect to said housing.

5. An extensible coupling including al'iousing, a pair of chainsslidably mounted in said housing for extensible and retractible movementwith respect thereto, a drawhead connected to the outer ends of saidchains, said chains being flexible in one direction only and beingconnected to said drawhead to extend in longitudinal abutting relationwith respect to each other along their inner sides and exing towardstheir outer sides, and said housing having a substantially Y-shapedguide formed therein, the ends of the branches of the Y of which turnback along the outer sides of the stem thereof, to permit said chains todouble back along themselves and be stored within said housing when saiddrawhead is in a retracted position with respect to said housing, asprocket mounted in said housing and meshing with one of said chains,and means selectively operable to engage and hold said sprocket fromrotation to hold said drawhead in fixed spaced relation with respect tosaid housing.

6. An extensible coupling including a housing, a pair of chains slidablymounted in said housing for extensible and retractible movement withrespect thereto, a drawhead connected to the outer ends of said chains,said chains being ilexible in one direction only and being connected tosaid drawhead to extend in longitudinal abutting relation with respectto each other along their inner sides and exing towards their outersides, and said housing having a substantially Y-shaped guide formedtherein, the ends of the branches of the Y of which turn back along thestem thereof to permit said chains to double back along themselves andbe storedwithin said housing when said drawhead is in a retractedposition with respect to said housing, two sprockets mounted in saidhousing, each one of said sprockets meshing with one of said chains, andmeans selectively operable to hold both of said sprockets from rotation,to hold said drawhead in xed spaced relation with respect to saidhousing.

ANTHONY R. BIEDESS.

